New baseball team to play in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — June 17 marks an important event for baseball fans in the Columbia Basin. The home opener for the new West Coast Collegiate Baseball League franchise, the Moses Lake Pirates, will be played on that day and many are hoping it will be the beginning of a lucrative team in Moses Lake.

"It was a three-year process," said team owner and general manager Brent Kirwan, who is also the president of the Moses Lake Spring Festival and is responsible for such programs as Movies in the Park.

It all began with a benefit game at Larson Field between the Wenatchee Applesox and the Spokane Riverhawks on the Fourth of July three years ago.

That game got the ball rolling on the team that Kirwan wanted to bring to Moses Lake. "I was looking to bring something to the community that would improve the quality of life," said Kirwan.

The Pirates will play in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League against teams such as the Applesox and Riverhawks as well as the Aloha Knights and the Bellingham Bells. The team draws its players from all over the country including players from South Dakota, Rhode Island and Connecticut, but also features local players from Big Bend and Wenatchee Valley community colleges, and local towns as well, such as Othello's Severo Rodriguez.

"It's the next step to pro baseball for these guys," said Kirwan of the stepping stone the team provides for hopeful players. The players will use their summer vacations to play for the team before returning to their respective collegiate teams in the fall. Players must have their college eligibility to play for the team, so it provides a place for the players to hone their skills over the off months in the summer.

Last year the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League had 74 players drafted to the major leagues, so many of the athletes on the Pirates' roster are hoping to get a look from scouts this summer.

The Pirates will have 24 home games this season and will play their games at Larson Field. Kirwan said the team is working with the city to keep the field in shape not just for the Pirates, but for every team using the field.

Plans have been put into motion to put a fresh coat of paint on the media box above the field as well as the bleachers. "It's going to come down to community support," said Kirwan. The organization is looking to put the best team possible on the field so fans of baseball will want to come out and see the Pirates play.

Kirwan has enlisted Gabe Boruff as the head coach and Kyle Heaverlo as an assistant coach to guide the team through the season.

Boruff has coached the Columbia Basin Riverdogs as well as Wenatchee Valley Community College. "I want to provide these kids with a good experience," he said. He also stated that the goal is to win games, but with a late start on recruiting he doesn't know what to expect for the season.

Boruff thinks that this team could mean a lot to baseball in Moses Lake. "This has a great deal of importance," he said. "Moses Lake is a great baseball community. I think it's going to do really well."

The Pirates will kick off the season on June 16 in Wenatchee when they will take on the Applesox. They will then head home for two more contests with the Sox and the season will be in full swing.

For information on tickets or merchandise, visit the team's Web site at www.mlpirates.com.